This invention relates generally to a water-supply pack which makes it possible for an individual while engaged in an activity requiring the use of his hands, to drink water from the supply without interrupting this activity, and in particular to a water supply pack assembly adapted to hitch onto the driver""s seat in an automobile which permits the driver to drink water from the supply as he drives the vehicle, or to hitch onto the pilot""s seat in the cockpit of an aircraft making it possible for the pilot to quench his thirst as he controls the plane.
Perhaps the oldest form of a portable water supply is the goat skin bag. When in ancient times it became necessary for an individual to travel long distances in a hot climate such as a desert, he would then take on his trip goat skin bags filled with water. In order to drink from a goat skin bag, the drinker must hold the bag with both hands and raise it to a level at which he can pour water from the bag into his mouth. Clearly this operation requires the drinker to interrupt whatever other activity in which he was then engaged.
The necessity in a tropical environment for an individual to drink water at frequent intervals is the same in our age as in ancient times, for in either case, a failure to do so may result in dehydration and its serious consequences. There are many situations where it is desirable not only that the individual be able to quench his thirst at frequent intervals, but also that he be free to do so without using his hands and without having to interrupt whatever activity in which he was then engaged.
Typical of these situations is that of a jogger who wishes to jog at a steady pace on a hot day along a course running several miles. To avoid dehydration, the jogger must drink water at frequent intervals. But if the jogger has to take a break each time he wishes to drink, this will break his stride and also cause him to lose time in completing his course.
Should the jogger carry with him a bottle of water, then in order to drink from the bottle he would have to uncap it and raise it to his lips. This procedure is not difficult to carry out when the jogger is at rest. But if the jogger does not wish to stop jogging in order to drink from a bottle, he must at least slow down to do so.
The prior art recognizes the problem faced by joggers, hikers and others engaged in a sports activity who wish to quench their thirst without interrupting this activity. To make it possible for a jogger, a hiker or other individuals engaged in a more or less strenuous activity to drink water without using their hands for this purpose and without interrupting this activity, it is known to provide this individual with a water-supply backpack having shoulder straps to support the pack on the back of the individual.
One such water-supply backpack is disclosed in the 1995 U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,290 to Thatcher, the backpack having a water-filled bladder. Coupled to the outlet of the bladder is an elongated flexible tube acting as a straw, the tube terminating in a valved mouthpiece. A hiker carrying this backpack on his shoulder and placing the mouthpiece in his mouth can suck water from the supply without interrupting his hike. The 1994 Wyatt U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,885 discloses a similar backpack in which the compartment for the water supply is thermally insulated to maintain the water in a cold state.
Also known in the prior art are water-supply pouches supportable on a waist belt whereby a runner who wears his pouch on his waist can while running suck water from this supply by means of a straw tube extending from the waist-borne pouch.
The prior art also recognizes the need to supply water or other liquids to the driver of an automobile But the means provided for this purpose do not allow the driver to drink as he drives.
Thus Japanese Patent 11164472 (1999) discloses a holder for drinking cups attached to the headrest of a driver""s seat. For a driver to take a drink, he would have to remove a cup from the holder and fill it with water. The driver obviously cannot do so while his hands are on the steering wheel of the car.
In the Schieber, U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,741, a tray for receiving cups issupported by straps from the headrest of a driver""s seat, the tray then being behind the seat. The driver cannot, as he drives, remove a cup from the tray and fill it with a liquid. British Patent 2102387 (1989) incorporates into the structure of a headrest of a driver""s seat an insulated water supply. The output of this supply is gravity-fed to a cooler placed below the headrest. The driver, with this arrangement, cannot drink as he drives.
In those situations in which a driver of a vehicle, such as a truck driver is required to travel a long distance and given a limited time to reach his destination, the driver cannot afford to lose time as a result of breaks to drink water. Yet a driver who forgoes breaks to drink water may have an impaired ability to drive safely. A driver who is well watered is more alert than one who is not.
The current practice on the part of driver faced with a long trip is for the driver to take with him bottles of water. But each time the driver takes a drink he must uncap a bottle and raise it to his lips, a procedure he is ill advised to carry out while having one hand on the steering wheel. But, if the driver, in order to drink has to bring his car to a halt, he then loses time.
The difficulty in carrying bottles of water in an automobile is that it has no interior compartment in which to store these bottles. Hence, it becomes necessary to rest the water bottles on the floor of the vehicle. As a result, the bottles behave as loose cannon that can be troublesome to the driver.
The current practice of a driver who has available in his car a bottle of water and wishes to drink from the bottle as he drives, is for the driver to clamp the bottle between his knees so that he can uncap the bottle and then with one hand, raise the bottle to his lips while his other hand remains on the steeringwheel. This is a dangerous practice, for the driver is not then fully attentive to his driving activity.
A similar problem is faced by the pilot in a private aircraft such as a single engine plane whose seat is in the cockpit of the plane. Though on a long flight it is necessary for the pilot to drink water, he cannot leave his seat to do so. But if the pilot has available a bottle of water, it then becomes difficult for him to manipulate the bottle in order to drink while at the same time, piloting the plane, an activity which requires his undivided attention.
A water-supply pack in accordance with the invention is installable on any seat, whether in a room or in a moving vehicle, in which the occupant of the seat is not free to leave the seat yet requires drinking water without which he will not function well.
In view of the foregoing, the main object of this invention is to provide a water-supply pack assembly adapted to hitch onto a seat in a room or in a vehicle, making it possible for the occupant of the seat to quench his thirst at any time without having to interrupt whatever activity in which he is then engaged. Thus when the seat is the driver""s seat in a vehicle, the driver may then travel long distances without taking a break, yet avoid dehydration and its consequences. And when the seat is the pilot""s seat in an aircraft cockpit, the pilot, in the course of a long flight, may drink was at frequent intervals while piloting the plane.
An assembly in accordance with the invention, while especially useful when hitched onto the driver""s seat of a vehicle, can also be hitched onto the passenger""s seat next to the driver""s scat to supply the passenger with water. Indeed the assembly may be hitched onto any chair or seat whose occupant is in need of drinking water but is not free to leave the seat to obtain water. Thus the assembly may be hitched onto a hospital wheelchair occupied by a patient connected to an IV system and therefore not free to leave the chair. Also while the assembly is mainly intended to supply potable water, since the liquid supply is thermally insulated, it may be used as a supply for a hot liquid, such as coffee or tea.
More particularly, an object of this invention is to provide an assembly of the above type having a fixture attachable to the headrest of a seat and a water-supply pack mounted on the fixture so that it is then placed behind the back of the seat.
In one embodiment of the invention, the pack is detachable from the fixture so that when the water supply is depleted, the water-supply pack can be detached from the fixture and refilled elsewhere before being returned to the fixture. Had it been necessary to refill the water supply while it is attached to the headrest in the vehicle, it would then be difficult to avoid spillage of the water and the resultant soiling of the vehicle interior.
Another advantage of an arrangement in which the water supply pack is attachable to a headrest fixture, is that it may be attached not to the rear of the fixture but the front thereof and then also serve as a head cushion. This is applicable only to water-supply packs which have a collapsible bladder enclosed in a fabric pouch, which pack has cushion-like characteristics.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an assembly of the above type which may be mass-produced at relatively low cost.
From the standpoint of safety, a salient feature of the invention is that it allows the driver to have both his hands on the steering wheel of the vehicle while he is drinking water to quench his thirst. This makes it possible for the driver to give his fill attention to the driving and thereby avoid an accident
Briefly stated, these objects are accomplished by a water-supply pack assembly adapted to hitch onto a scat in a room or in a vehicle, thereby making it possible for the occupant of the seat to drink water drawn from the supply without having to interrupt whatever activity in which he was then engaged. The assembly includes a fixture attached to the back of the seat and a water-supply pack mountable on the fixture so that it is then behind the back. A flexible tube extending from the outlet of the supply and terminating in a valved mouthpiece functions as a straw to permit the occupant, with the mouthpiece in place, to suck water from the supply.